Four Words
by Piper Elizabeth
Summary: Two years after the death of Lord Voldermort, the trio is invited back to Hogwarts, but will Hermione and Ron’s relationship survive the trip?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Four Words

**Rating:** T for some language and normal teenage behavior

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement. I only use them as a means to de-stress myself.

**Summary:** Two years after the death of Lord Voldermort, the trio is invited back to Hogwarts, but will Hermione and Ron's relationship survive the trip?

**Spoilers:** All books including Deathly Hallows.

**Chapter 1**

"Ron. Ron. Ronald!"

Ron's eyes sprang open and he shot up out of bed, having to hold on to his bed's iron headboard to keep him from falling onto the cluttered floor below. His eyes came into focus on Hermione, who was standing only inches from him with her hands on her hip and her right foot tapping wildly against the creaky floorboards beneath her feet.

"Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron groaned, lying back down in his bed and pulling the blankets up over his head. "It's early," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

"It's one o'clock in the afternoon," Hermione stated, mildly irritated.

She grabbed the blanket that covered him and whipped it off his body, letting it fall carelessly onto the floor. In the past, Ron might have been embarrassed of his tattered grey T-Shirt and striped maroon and green shorts that he wore to bed, but his embarrassment was long gone. Being woken up by Hermione happened at least once a week, if not more.

"I thought we agreed you weren't going to apparate into my room anymore," Ron muttered, still half asleep.

"First of all, you agreed, I never did. And second of all, I didn't apparate. Harry let me in through the front door."

Ron grunted.

"You know, one of these days, I'm going to mix a sleeping potion into your pumpkin juice so I can have some peace and quiet for once," Ron grumbled, sitting up in bed. "You and Harry."

"It'll never work," Hermione said, smirking.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"Sleeping potions have a strong floral order. I'd know what you were doing before you could even slip it in my drink. And you'd know that, too, if you had paid attention in potions."

"And if you had spent less time paying attention in potions, we could have spent more time doing this…"

Ron reached for her arm and pulled her down onto the bed on top of him. She giggled as he brushed his lips against hers. He rolled over, pinning her beneath him and kissed her more deeply.

"I didn't come over for that," Hermione said, playfully pushing him off of her. She sat up and leaned against the headboard, running a hand through her tousled hair. Ron sat up beside her and kissed her on the cheek, which had turned a crimson red.

It had been two years since Ron and Hermione had shared their first kiss and it still made Hermione's cheeks red anytime Ron kissed her. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, but she still had trouble believing that, after all the time they spent together, they actually were together.

After the fateful night when they helped destroy Voldermort, Ron and Hermione returned to the Burrow with Harry and the rest of the Weasley family to bid a final farewell and to bury their fallen friends. For more than a week, Hermione and Ron never parted, afraid that someone might tell them that it wasn't really over and that they would have to go back and fight Voldermort all over again. After all the time they had both wasted bickering and not admitting their feelings for one another, they didn't want to lose any more time with each other. Harry and Ginny acted very much in the same way. For the first time, excluding the lonely summers when Harry had to stay with the Dursley's, Harry spent less time with Ron and Hermione than ever before. But, as things settled and they all realized that the battle between good and evil was all finally over, things started to go back to normal. Within a few weeks, Ron and Harry decided to get a flat together and Hermione and Ginny did the same. Although Ron hinted that he would rather have been living with Hermione, she felt it was both inappropriate and too early in their relationship to even consider such a step. So, instead, they all settled on living within close proximity to the Burrow and each other, not wanting to ever be far from each other again.

"So, what did you come over for?" Ron asked.

Hermione pulled a piece of parchment out of her Jeans pocket.

"To show you this."

She handed it over to Ron.

"A letter from Hogwarts?"

With his free hand, Ron entwined his fingers with hers.

"Read it," Hermione prompted.

Ron unfolded the paper and began to read it out loud.

"Dear Ms. Granger, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry requests your presence for dinner on Friday evening. Sincerely, Professor McGonagall, Headmistress."

"Professor McGonagall wants to invite you for dinner?"

"Yes and there's more. Read the bottom."

Ron looked at the bottom of the paper. "P.S. Feel free to come a few days early and visit." Ron glanced over at Hermione. "She always did have a soft spot for you."

"She had a soft spot for all of us," Hermione corrected.

"Well, especially for you."

"That's because I did my homework. And besides, she didn't just invite me."

Hermione pointed out the window as a large, brown barn owl flew towards them and perched outside on the ledge. Ron got out of bed and opened the window. The owl dropped the envelope it had in its beak into Ron's hand. In return, Ron reached into the top drawer of his bureau and fed the owl a small treat. With a hoot, the owl soared away again.

Ron returned to the bed and sat down with a flop as he opened the envelope.

"I got the same letter," he remarked.

"Ginny and Harry got them too," Hermione told him.

"Have you been going around waking up everyone this morning?" Ron asked.

"Unlike some people," Hermione began, playfully jabbing him in the chest with her thumb, "there are those of us who like to get up before the day is done."

"But why would McGonagall be inviting us to dinner?"

"Think about it, Ron." He didn't respond. "What's Friday?"

He thought for a moment. "The last day of the week before the weekend?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, something she had a tendency to do a lot when she and Ron were together.

"This Friday is the second anniversary of the death of Lord Volder…"

"Don't say his name!" Ron shouted, covering her mouth with his hand.

"Oh for goodness sake, Ron," Hermione said as she pried Ron's hand from her mouth. "He's dead and he's never coming back." She sighed. "Anyway, Harry, Ginny, and I have already decided we're leaving tomorrow."

"You've all decided, huh? What if I didn't want to go tomorrow? What if I had plans?"

"Oh please, what plans would that be?"

"I could have work," Ron insisted.

"Ronald, you're a waiter at The Leaky Cauldron."

Ron could sense the annoyance in her voice that he was still working there. He had taken the job initially because his mother insisted that he had to get out of the house and do something with his life. The job was never meant to be permanent, but Ron was enjoying learning how the business was run and he loved talking to the costumers who came in. As far as he was concerned, he would be content working there for the rest of his life.

"I think Tom can afford to give you the day off," Hermione continued.

"And what about your classes?"

As for Hermione, she had immediately enrolled at Warprov University, the most prestigious university for witches and wizards who wished to continue their education. Her concentration was in history of both the magical and muggle worlds, although she excelled in all of her classes.

"I don't think your professors will take kindly to you missing an entire week of classes," Ron stated.

"We're on holiday, remember?"

"Oh right."

Ron had completely forgotten that the ministry had declared the day Voldermort had been defeated a holiday. Hermione's university, however, decided the day was so important that they gave them the whole week off.

"Besides, why are you being so negative? Don't you want to go back to visit Hogwarts?"

Ron shrugged as he lazily twirled a strand of her golden brown hair around his finger.

"Things are just so different now. There's just a lot of…bad memories there."

"And a lot of good ones," Hermione reminded him. "We wouldn't have met if it weren't for Hogwarts."

Ron smiled. "I thought you were trying to give me examples of good memories."

"You'll pay for that Ronald Weasley."

She began to tickle him, knowing exactly where his weaknesses were. As she reached a spot right above his knee, Ron squealed to make her stop.

"Okay," he said panting from laughing so much. "I promise I'll never say anything bad about our relationship again."

"Good, then I'll see you tomorrow at eight AM sharp."

"AM? Why do we have to get there so early? It's not like we have to go on the train. We can just apparate into Hogsmeade and…"

"8 AM, Ronald," she sad sternly.

"Alright, 8 AM," he begrudgingly agreed.

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

Hermione tried to get up, but Ron caught her wrist and began to kiss up her arm slowly.

"I have a better idea. I think we should…"

But before he could finish his sentence, she was gone, and he was alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

At eight o'clock sharp the next morning, Ron stumbled out the front door of his and Harry's flat with his trunk floating behind him. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione were already standing outside with their trunks floating just above the ground.

"Glad to see you're up," Hermione stated.

"Good morning to you, too," Ron muttered, wiping the crust that still remained in his eyes away. He walked over to Harry. "I think I'm too tired to apparate," he whispered.

"We'll be taking a portkey," Hermione responded, having overheard the whisper. "That way we can arrive directly at Hogwarts."

"Has she got extendable ears stashed away somewhere?" Ron whispered even more quietly to Harry.

Harry smiled and shrugged.

"I heard that," Hermione muttered. "Come on, it's right over there."

Hermione began walking away with her trunk following. Ginny trailed not far behind and Ron and Harry took up the rear all with their trunks bouncing behind them.

"Isn't there some spell that could make her less of a morning person?" Ron asked Harry, not really caring if Hermione heard. After all, that was what they did - bicker back and forth and eventually kiss and make up. And Ron definitely enjoyed the kissing part.

"Here we are," Hermione said as she approached a small, white golf ball on the ground.

"What is it?" Ron asked, staring at the small object. For as much time as he spent with Harry and Hermione, there were still things about the muggle world that confused him. And why someone would need a ball that small, unless it was gold and had wings attached, was a mystery.

"A ball," Hermione answered simply, not in the mood for Ron's questions.

"It's a golf ball," Harry clarified.

"Golf?" Ron said the word as if it were in a foreign language.

"I'll explain it to you later, mate," Harry stated.

Hermione took her wand out of her jacket pocket and ordered her trunk to return to the ground. Ron, Harry, and Ginny did the same. They made a circle around the portkey, each placing one hand on their trunk.

"On the count of three," Harry said. "One, two, three."

The four of them reached for the tiny ball at the same time. As soon as their fingertips made contact with the cool plastic, they each felt as if they were freefalling through nothingness. It took only seconds before all four of them felt their feet hitting solid ground once more.

Having traveled by portkey more often, both Ginny and Ron managed to land on their feet. Harry and Hermione, on the other hand, tumbled to the ground. Their four trunks crashed down beside them.

Hermione squealed as Harry's trunk fell too close to her right leg for comfort.

"Sorry, Hermione," Harry grumbled as he picked himself up off the ground and brushed himself off.

"It's alright," Hermione assured him as she pulled the hem of her green skirt out from under Harry's trunk.

"I much prefer flying," Harry remarked, rubbing his sore back.

"I prefer the car," Hermione stated as Ron reached out his hand to help her up.

"You've really got to get used to traveling like a witch, Hermione, and not a muggle."

He pulled her to her feet.

"I'd forgotten how…magical it was," Harry commented.

Harry's back was towards them and he was staring at Hogwarts. A warm feeling spread over him. It was the same feeling that he got whenever he saw the castle. It was the feeling of home.

"Doesn't seem much different to me," Ginny commented.

"That's because you just left last year," Ron reminded her.

"There ya all are!"

They all looked as Hagrid came walking through the front gates towards them.

"Hagrid!" Hermione and Ginny shrieked at the same time. They both ran over to him and gave him a hug. Harry and Ron approached him and did the same.

"It's so good to see you, Hagrid," Harry stated.

"Been too long in my opinion," Hagrid said. "Good to have you all back at Hogwarts again. And I know for a fact Professor McGonagall can't wait to see ya."

"That's something I thought I'd never here," Ron muttered. "I always thought McGonagall couldn't wait until we left."

"Well, like Professor Dumbledore used to say, ya never know how much ya miss somethin' 'til you let it go."

Ron uncomfortably shuffled his feet while everyone else grew silent and stared at the ground. Dumbledore's death still loomed over them. Even though they often spoke of him fondly, they sometimes found themselves speaking about him as if he was still alive and then they would remember that he had died and their sorrow would take over yet again. Even though he knew it was foolish, Harry liked to pretend that Dumbledore still reigned over Hogwarts.

"Anyway," Hagrid continued, sensing the awkwardness he had created, "she's lookin' forward to seein' ya. Don't want to keep Professor McGonagall waitin'." Hagrid began to walk off towards the castle. "Don't worry 'bout your trunks. They'll find their way up to your rooms."

"Hagrid," Harry began. "Where exactly will we be staying?"

"Guest rooms ah course," Hagrid answered.

The four of them raced to keep up with Hagrid. For every one of his steps, they had to take three.

"Guest rooms? Hogwarts has guest rooms?" Ron asked.

"Oh Ronald," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes. "Each house in Hogwarts has guest rooms above their respective dormitories. I read about them in…"

"Hogwarts, A History," Ron and Harry both said together, snickering.

"So, Hagrid," Ginny began, changing the subject, although she too was laughing on the inside. Even though she and Hermione had become best friends, she couldn't help but laugh sometimes at Hermione's expense. "How is everyone at Hogwarts?"

"Well, Professor McGonagall is doing a right fine job as headmistress. And Professor Turnbull is back again as the defense against the dark arts teacher."

"So, it's true. The curse has been lifted?" Ron asked.

"Curse?" Hagrid questioned.

"A defense against the dark arts teacher has never returned to Hogwarts for a second year," Hermione pointed out.

"Well, I guess now that Voldermort's out of the picture, it's much safer," Harry stated.

"Oh, and Professor Sprout's got herself a new apprentice," Hagrid explained, changing the subject. Discussing Lord Voldermort still made him slightly queasy.

"That's right!" Hermione practically shouted. "I had forgotten Neville had told me he was going to be working with Professor Sprout. I can't wait to see him."

The front doors opened as they approached. As they walked into the castle, like they had done so many times before, they each felt a familiarity and yet, it felt so different.

"I suspect y'all remember where the common room is," Hagrid said. "I hate to run off on ya, but I got a new egg hatchin' and I gotta go make sure it's doin' alright."

Hagrid waved to them as he walked away.

"I don't want to know what kind of egg it is," Ron commented.

A group of Hufflepuffs walked passed them. They each glanced over at Harry and immediately began to whisper and scamper away.

"Not this again," Harry murmured.

"You had to be expecting this, Harry," Hermione stated. "You killed Lord Voldermort."

Ron cringed at the mention of his name.

"We all killed Lord Voldermort," Harry corrected. "I couldn't have done it without you guys and everyone else who stayed and fought."

"Let's get settled," Ginny suggested, trying to shift the conversation off of Voldermort. She had never quite gotten over when she had been possessed by the diary of Tom Riddle. Thinking about it still made her feel uneasu.

"Then we can go find Professor McGonagall," Ginny continued.

They all nodded and headed off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. As they walked, they passed other students going to and from class. Some of the students, which recognized them since they had gone to school together, greeted them with handshakes and hello's, while others just stared and whispered to each other. Harry swore he heard "the boy who lived," a term he hadn't heard in two years, at least a dozen times.

"I wish they'd stop staring," Harry said.

"Harry!" A tall, blonde-headed girl shrieked when she saw him.

Harry whirled around and immediately recognized her. Jaclyn Andrews, a Ravenclaw who was two years behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Every time she saw Harry, she liked to flip her hair and smile all too much.

"Hi Jackie," Harry replied.

"I'm glad to see you're back at Hogwarts," Jackie said.

"We're just visiting," Ginny remarked, taking a small, protective, step closer to Harry.

"Oh, hello Ginny, Hermione, R…Ron," she stuttered, as her eyes landed on Ron's. He smiled awkwardly at her, and found himself unable to take his eyes from hers. He had never noticed before just how bright blue her eyes were.

Hermione looked from Ron to Jackie and quickly reached out for Ron's hand.

"We have to get settled," Hermione explained somewhat angrily, squeezing his hand tightly.

"Yes, well, I guess I'll see you around," Jackie said, still looking into Ron's eyes.

"Yeah, see ya," Ron replied, watching her as she turned and walked away.

Hermione tugged on Ron's arm.

"Come on," she urged as they began to walk away.

"Looks like Jackie's over me," Harry joked, nudging Ron in the ribs.

"Harry," Ginny whispered, sensing Hermione's anger. "Let's just get to the common room."

They all stepped onto one of Hogwarts many staircases. As Harry began to lead the way up the stairs, he felt the stairs beginning to move.

"I hate when they do this," Ginny whimpered, holding onto the railing for dear life. Harry quickly grabbed her free hand. It amazed him that Ginny could ride a broomstick better than anyone he knew, but she got motion sickness whenever the stairs started to move.

"I've missed these stairs," Hermione stated as she began to look around at the hundreds of paintings that lined the walls. Although the object of the picture, whether it be a person or an animal, moved freely among the paintings, it made Hermione feel warm inside to think that the same paintings hung in the halls of Hogwarts, watching over the students day and night.

The stairs finally connected with the next floor and stopped moving. They were brought directly to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room.

"Oh! Oh my!" The Fat Lady exclaimed as she clapped her hands together in excitement and danced from foot to foot in her golden frame. "The rumors are true, then. The great Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts."

"I'm not the great Harry Potter," Harry insisted.

"Oh, just let us in," Ron whined, still sleepy and grumpy from getting up so early. He was already looking forward to just jumping into bed and sleeping for the rest of the day.

"Not without the password," the Fat Lady said, pointing her nose up in the air.

"Gobstones," Hermione said.

The Fat Lady swung open.

"How did you know that?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione quizzically. It never ceased to amaze him just how much she knew.

With her right hand, Hermione pulled the letter Professor McGonagall had sent her out of her pocket and with her left, she pulled out her wand.

"Revealo," she said, pointing her wand at the paper.

Underneath the PS that McGonagall had written about them visiting early, words appeared that simply said Gobstones.

Hermione put her wand and the letter away and stepped through the open doorway.

"She really does know everything, doesn't she?" Ron asked.

"If she knows everything, you think she'd know better than to stay with you," Ginny smirked, following Hermione through the open doorway.

Author's Note:

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. This is my first Harry Potter fanfic so I appreciate any and all feedback.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ron was the last one to climb through the door and into the common room. He nearly bumped right into Harry who had stopped right in front of the entrance. Hermione and Ginny were standing just in front of him, staring at the room as if they had been petrified where they stood. Ron knew immediately what they were looking at. They were looking at nothing, but they were also looking at everything.

There was nothing different about the Gryffindor common room and that was just it. A warm fire still burned brightly in the fireplace while the familiar red and gold banners hung from the ceiling, sending a sense of pride through every Gryffindor that walked through the portrait of the Fat Lady. The couch where Harry, Hermione, and Ron had spent so many hours plotting and discussing secrets was still the same, but perhaps with more ware since when they first arrived nine years earlier.

"It looks…" Harry began.

"Like home," Ginny finished, glad that they were alone in the common room to take in everything.

"It's exactly the same," Hermione commented. "I never realized how much I missed it." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Here she goes being sentimental again," Ron remarked, rolling his eyes.

"To some of us, being here actually means something, Ron," Hermione barked.

"It's not like we haven't seen it before, Hermione," Ron bickered. "And as you pointed out, it looks exactly the same."

Ginny sighed, knowing that this was going to become one of Ron and Hermione's usual fights.

"If you weren't going to appreciate this, why did you come?"

"Because someone stormed into my bedroom yesterday morning and demanded that I be here! I didn't exactly have a choice!"

"First of all, it was yesterday afternoon and second of all, if you really didn't care about Hogwarts, you didn't need to come!"

"Hermione…" Harry tried to interject.

"I never said I didn't care about Hogwarts," Ron yelled, ignoring Harry.

"Ron…" Again Harry interrupted, trying to stop one of them before their argument got worse as their arguments had a tendency to do.

Ron, however, continued. "Hogwarts has been as much of a home for me as it was for you or Harry."

"Well, you could show it!"

"Just because I don't go crying about it doesn't mean…"

"You know what, Ronald, you've…you've got the emotional range of…of freshly picked lettuce!"

Hermione stormed off towards the girl's dormitory.

"I better go with her," Ginny decided. She gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek before following after Hermione.

"Freshly picked lettuce, huh?" Harry asked, smirking.

"She really needs to work on her comebacks," Ron replied, chuckling.

"You two fight more than any two people I know."

Ron shrugged. "It's just our thing."

"Come on, let's go find these guest rooms."

Harry headed off towards the boy's dormitory, but Ron didn't move.

"Hey, Harry."

"Yeah?"

"How long did we live here?"

Harry stopped walking and turned back to Ron. "Were you hit in the head by a bludger in the last thirty seconds, Ron, or are you just acting stupid?"

"I'm just thinking. We lived here for 6 years and we never even knew there were guest rooms. How do you propose we find them?"

Harry's brow furrowed.

"I guess we should have asked Hermione before you upset her."

It took Harry and Ron only twenty minutes to figure out how to get into the guest rooms and, as it happened many times in Hogwarts, they stumbled upon them by accident. In a moment of sentimentality, Harry had sat down on his old bed when he suddenly found himself being shot into the air. Instead of hitting the ceiling, however, he went right through and found himself landing on a soft bed that was identical to his own. As Ron joined him by sitting on his own, old bed, they both realized that there was so much about Hogwarts that they still didn't know, including a ladder that allowed them to get back down. As Ron and Harry discovered, the ladder was invisible to the regular dormitories and could only be used as a means to get down from the guest bedrooms. By experimenting a few times, they found that as long as they were touching their olds beds, even with just the tip of their finger, they would be shot straight up to the guest rooms above. And, as Hagrid had promised, their trunks were not only already there waiting for them, but they had been unpacked for them as well.

"Hey Harry." Ron asked as he jumped onto his guest bed, placed his hands under his head, and stretched out.

"Yeah?"

Harry was standing at the window, staring out over the grounds that he had grown to love. He could see Hagrid's hut in the distance with his garden growing pumpkins and radishes that he used to feed his magical creatures. As usual, the crows were pecking at the oversized vegetables, but Hagrid never seemed to care. He let the crows take whatever they wanted.

"Think the guest rooms are the same as our regular rooms?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, turning to face Ron.

"You remember how the boys weren't allowed in the girl's dormitory?"

"You're wondering if we can sneak into Ginny and Hermione's room tonight."

"Actually, I'm wondering if we can work it out so you sneak into Ginny and Hermione's room and Hermione sneaks into our room. Or vice versa. I'm not picky."

Harry shook his head, but smiled.

"We've only been here for less than an hour and already you're trying to get us into trouble."

"I don't recall the idea that we could get into trouble ever stopping us from doing something wrong before."

Harry smiled.

"After the argument you and Hermione had, I don't think she'll want you to join her in her room. And besides, did you notice that you basically just gave me permission to snog your sister in the middle of the night?"

"Well, when you put it that way, never mind."

Harry could see Ron's face turning a scarlet red. Harry knew that it was more than awkward for Ron when he spoke about him and Ginny together. Inside, though, he also knew that Ron was secretly happy that Ginny was with someone who cared for and respected her.

"Think Hermione's still mad at you?" Harry asked.

"Probably, why?"

"We should go find Professor McGonagall," Harry suggested. His stomach began to growl. "And then get something to eat."

Ron's own stomach made a groaning noise, echoing Harry's.

"Couldn't agree with you more."

They both approached the ladder and headed down.

Author's Note:

I apologize for the long wait for the chapter, but between vacation and being the maid of honor in two weddings, things have been crazy. Anyway, thank you to all of my reviewers and stay tuned for more!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Minutes later, Harry and Ron had met up with the girls back in the common room. Hermione appeared to have gotten over her and Ron's argument, especially after she and Ginny gushed for nearly ten minutes over how much fancier their guest rooms were than the usual girl's dormitories. Ron found it highly unfair that the boy's guest rooms were exactly the same as the boy's dormitory, but he thought it best to not say anything.

The four of them walked out of the common room and through the familiar hallways towards the headmaster's office. They were thankful that classes were in session so there were less people standing around gawking at them. There was still the occasional student who stopped to stare, but, all in all, the trip through the castle was uneventful.

Harry led the way and as he approached where the headmaster's office was, he stopped.

"This isn't right," he said, standing outside a set of massive, ornate wooden doors. "This is where the entrance is, but it's…it's not right."

"I guess every headmaster gets to change the entrance if they want," Ginny replied.

"The office magically changes to meet every different headmaster's wants and needs," Hermione informed them all.

"Hogwarts a History?" Ginny asked, smiling.

"No…Teen Witch," Hermione answered simply. Harry and Ron glanced at each other and then stared at her. "What? They had an article about each of the magic schools in the country, including some little known facts about each one," she explained.

"You actually read Teen Witch?" Harry questioned.

"For goodness sake, it's only a magazine. Besides, Ginny reads it, too."

"Yeah, but we'd expect Ginny to read it. It's a girly magazine and Ginny's…girly." Ron exclaimed.

"Thanks, Ron," Ginny replied, rolling her eyes.

"And I'm not?" Hermione questioned, taking a step closer to Ron.

"Not again," Harry grumbled. He stepped between them. "Before you two get into another fight, let's figure out how to get inside."

No one moved.

"You knock, Harry," Ron suggested after a few moments of silence. He pushed Harry towards the door.

"Why me?" Harry retorted.

"Because you've been here more," Ron insisted.

And it was true. Harry had seen the inside of Dumbledore's office more than any of them, probably more than any other student had at Hogwarts, but it wasn't Dumbledore's office that they were going into. It was Professor McGonagall's office and everything would be different. Even the familiar scent of ragweed and licorice that always lingered in Dumbledore's office would most likely be gone. And the worst difference was that Dumbledore wouldn't be there to greet them. Instead he would be hanging on the wall as a painting next to all of the other past headmasters.

"Hermione should do. She was closer to Professor McGonagall," Harry protested, taking a step back.

"I was not!" Hermione practically yelled, stamping her foot on the ground. "Just because I actually did my homework does not mean that I was her favorite."

"Oh for goodness sake," Ginny exclaimed, taking a step forward. As she raised her hand to knock on the door, it opened.

"Spooky," Ron muttered.

"Oh please," Hermione said, still angry about the comment Ron had made insinuating that she wasn't girly. "McGonagall's probably known the whole time that we've been standing out here and we're acting like a bunch of first years."

"Hey, I didn't see you volunteering to knock on the door," Ron pointed out.

"Let's go," Hermione stated firmly, leading the way through the doorway. They walked down an empty passageway before coming to a set of spiraling steps. They began to walk down them slowly, unable to see the bottom.

Harry abruptly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked from behind him.

"It's just…different," he answered.

"It's going to be different," Ginny reminded him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But it's okay."

He nodded and continued down the steps following Hermione.

Finally, after what felt like they had walked down several flights of stairs, they reached the bottom and found themselves at yet another closed door. There was no handle that any of them could see. Hermione knocked on it, but there was no response.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered.

The door creaked open.

"You may not be a student in this school anymore, Mr. Weasley, but I will not tolerate the use of such language."

As McGonagall's office came into view, they saw her sitting at her desk with a quill in hand. She looked the same as when they had last seen here. Her glasses were perched on the end of her pointy nose, her grey hair was pinned up at the back of her head, and she wore her usual, long, black robes which happened to also have a pattern of green and purple swirled throughout.

"Come in," she beckoned, standing with a smile on her face.

As Harry entered, he couldn't help but look around. To his surprise, things were very much the same. It may have been a bit neater, but it was obvious that McGonagall hadn't changed much about Dumbledore's office. The walls were still lined with countless shelves that held books that were written well before Harry and the others were born as well as wonders Harry didn't even dare to guess at what they were. The same scent filled the air, although there was perhaps also a floral order that was added to the mix. Like always, the sorting hat sat on a stool next to McGonagall's desk.

"Professor McGonagall, it's so good to see you again," Hermione said, walking over to her.

McGonagall embraced her in a swift hug.

"Told ya she was her favorite," Ron muttered to Harry.

"Mr. Weasley, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't play favorites." Ron's cheeks turned red. "Of course, it did help that Ms. Granger always remembered to do her homework."

Harry began to scan the walls, looking at each and every one of the portraits that were hung.

"He's away," Professor McGonagall told him as if she was reading his mind. "Gone to Surrey to visit with some family. He'll be back, though. Come, sit."

Professor McGonagall picked up her wand and swished it in the air. Immediately, five chairs sped across the room and stopped right behind each of them. They all sat.

"I'm so glad you all could come," she said, looking at each of them as if she hadn't seen them in ages. She knew that she shouldn't play favorites, and in her decades of teaching, she had never done so, except with the four students who sat before her. They would always hold a special place in her heart.

"It was our pleasure," Hermione responded. "It's been great being back here."

"So, tell me, what have you all been up to?"

They spent the next hour each telling McGonagall about their lives. Professor McGonagall all but clapped her hands in excitement to hear how well Hermione was doing at Warprov. It was a little strange at first for each of them as they spoke to Professor McGonagall as if she were an old friend, rather than a former teacher, but they each eventually grew comfortable and enjoyed their conversation. In turn, Professor McGonagall told them some of the goings on of Hogwarts, including that Moaning Myrtle was still keeping girls from using the lavatory and that the Gryffindors had won the house cup for the past two years, always just beating out Slytherin.

They were so immersed in their conversation that when a loud knock interrupted them, they all jumped.

"That would be Mr. Filch," Professor McGonagall said, shaking her head. "Most likely found a student somewhere they shouldn't have been." They all stood. "If this were a few years ago, I'd have guessed that the student he had would be one of you four." She smiled again as tears came to her eyes. "But times they do change. Well, I shall see you four tonight at dinner."

"Goodbye professor," Hermione said as they began their ascent up the spiral staircase.

Author's Note:

Again, I apologize for not updating sooner. Sometimes life just gets in the way of writing too much. On another note, just for the record, I have heard about Ron and Harry's jobs after the ending of the series, but, as any author does, I'm taking some creative liberties and I'm trying to make this story my own, so please understand that this story will differ from the books slightly. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Ron said as he walked into the back of the library. Hermione was sitting on the floor, leaning against an old bookshelf full of tattered, dusty books. She had a book open in her lap and, from the looks of things, she had been there for a long time.

"And you didn't think to look in the library?" She asked, continuing to read.

"I did look in the library more than an hour ago, but I didn't look all the way back here," he replied, sitting down beside her. "What are you doing back here?"

"Now that we're not students here anymore, we can read any books we want. Including those in the restricted section."

"And what exactly are you reading about?"

He put his arm around her.

"Believe me," she said, closing the book. A cloud of dust rose into the air. "You really don't want to know." She put the book on the floor beside her and picked up another book from the floor. "Have you seen Ginny and Harry?"

Ron shook his head as she began to skim through the book.

"They probably went to take a walk around the grounds or something," he suggested.

"Poor Harry," Hermione said, leaning against Ron's body.

"Poor Harry? What about us? I'd say they ruined our dinner just as much as they ruined Harry's."

Dinner at the Great Hall had been disastrous. They had all been excited about seeing the Great Hall again and eating a delicious meal, but going there wasn't what they expected. Sure, there were the magical floating candles and the ceiling that reflected the beautiful night sky, but one thing was very different. As soon as they walked into the room, everyone had grown silent. Usually the Great Hall was full of laughter and chatter of students discussing their classes, quidditch, and upcoming visits to Hogsmeade, but not a sound was heard when the doors opened for Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. The only time the Great Hall was ever completely silent was when Dumbledore spoke. Harry didn't like the idea that he commanded the same silence.

All eyes followed them as they found four seats in the middle of the Gryffindor table. And it didn't stop there. By the end of the dinner, half of the students approached Harry for his autograph while the girls swooned over him and Ron and the boys swooned over Ginny and Hermione. Ginny even got asked out by four different boys. Harry had left the table before finishing his meal and Ginny followed.

While Harry and Ginny were able to escape, Hermione and Ron were stuck answering students' questions for more than an hour. Most of the questions had to do with their friendship with Harry, but some were more personal and they made Hermione uncomfortable. Eventually, Hagrid was able to push through the mob scene that surrounded them to help them escape.

"I didn't think it would be like this," Hermione admitted, closing the second book.

"C'mon, Hermione, he's the great Harry Potter. He defeated you know who."

"I just thought people would be…over it by now."

"Harry's a legend. He's like a famous rock star."

She smiled. "Can you imagine? Harry, a rock star?"

"All he needs to do is to spike his hair," Ron added, laughing.

Hermione chuckled then yawned.

"It's late. We should be heading to bed. Besides, who knows how long it'll take us to actually get through the common room. I heard a bunch of first years whispering about how they were going to wait up for us to ask us more questions."

"Think we could stupefy all of them at once?" She asked as Ron stood up and offered her his hand.

"No, but I bet we could take out a few," he joked.

He pulled her to her feet and she put the books she had been reading back on the shelf.

"As long as Mark Kirby is among them, I'll be happy," Hermione stated. "He gives me the creeps."

"Fine, if you get Mark, I'll get Celeste Moore. She kept asking me if I could get her some of Harry's spit in a vile."

"That's disgusting," Hermione scoffed.

As they walked out of the deserted library, he reached for her hand.

"It feels good to do this," he commented as they made their way down the long corridor.

"Do what?" She asked. "Make a plan to stupefy first years?"

He laughed.

"No. It feels good to…you know…hold hands," he stuttered.

He could feel his cheeks turning red.

"Ronald Weasley, I can't tell if you're happy or embarrassed about holding my hand," she joked.

"Well, you know it is a little…strange."

"Ron, we hold hands all the time."

"Yes, but never in Hogwarts. We were always too preoccupied with making each other's lives miserable to hold hands. But I like it. It feels…right."

She grabbed his arm with her free hand and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm quite enjoying it myself," she said.

He kissed her on the forehead as they walked hand in hand.

"Ron?!" A loud voice shrieked as they turned the corner.

"Oh brother," Hermione muttered.

Jaclyn Andrews was heading straight for them, her blonde hair bouncing back and forth over her shoulders.

"I'm so glad I ran into you!" She shrieked, placing her hand on Ron's shoulder as if they were old friends.

"Yeah, you, too," Ron replied, staring into her eyes. There was just something about them that mesmerized him.

"I'm so sorry we didn't get a chance to talk tonight at dinner, but what an exciting evening!" Jackie squealed. "You four sure do know how to make a grand entrance."

"That wasn't exactly what we were trying to do," Hermione responded.

"Oh, well, of course, Hermione Granger wouldn't know how to do anything grand."

"I beg your pardon!" Hermione yelled. "Let's go, Ron."

She tugged on his arm and they began to walk away.

"Oh, Ron!" Jackie called out. Ron turned to look at her despite the death grip Hermione had on his arm. "You know, my father works for the Daily Prophet and, after I told him I ran into you at school, he wants to write an article on you."

"On me?"

"Well, yes, of course." She batted her eyes at him, which made Hermione snort. "I mean, Harry's story's been told already, but yours…I bet yours is a story of adventure and excitement. I bet everyone would love to read a story about your life."

"You think so?"

"Ron, come on," Hermione grunted.

"I'll…ah…I'll get back to you," he said as Hermione began to drag him away.

"That girl is a no good, backstabbing…and to think I was nice to her in her first year," Hermione rambled as she marched towards the Gryffindor common room, dragging Ron with her. "I even showed her how to brew a potion for clear skin. You think that skin is natural? Oh no, that…"

"Jealous?" He asked, grinning.

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around.

"Of her? Never."

"Then let me get this straight. You just don't like her because she's got clear skin?"

He smiled. If there was one thing that Hermione didn't like it was sounding stupid and he knew that she knew that she sounded just that.

"You're not funny," Hermione insisted.

He put his hand on her hip.

"Come on, Hermione, she's just a pretty girl who likes me because I'm friends with Harry."

"So you think she's pretty?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Not as pretty as you," he quickly answered, putting his other hand on her hip.

"Good answer," Hermione replied, taking a step backwards. She threw her arms around his neck.

"You know how I said that I liked holding hands with you in Hogwarts because it was something we never got the chance to do before?"

"Yeah."

"I think I like this even better."

He crushed his lips to hers, walking forwards until her back hit the wall. She buried her hands in his hair as his hands ran up and down her back, sending shivers down her spine.

"We could get caught," she whispered as Ron began to kiss her neck.

"We're not students here anymore, remember?" He said between kisses.

"Filch could still find us."

"Let him," Ron remarked as his lips found their way back to hers.

Author's Note:

First and foremost, I apologize again for not updating often. But, now that my best friend's wedding is over and I've completed another fanfic I've been working on, updates should be coming much more rapidly. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me and commented!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next morning, Ron woke up to the sun streaming onto his face. He grabbed the pillow from under him and covered his head with it.

"Bloody hell, Harry, close the curtain."

Harry was standing at the window, looking out. He watched a brown hoot owl soar by and it made him think of Hedwig. Harry had never had the heart to get another owl after he had lost Hedwig. Instead, he just looked out at other owls in envy, knowing that no one, human or owl, could replace the friend that he lost.

"Harry!" Ron yelled.

Harry closed the curtains and sat down on his bed. Ron took the pillow off his head and sat up.

"How'd you get that?" Harry asked, pointing to a large bruise on Ron's elbow.

"Bloody stairs to the girl's room turned into a slide the moment I stepped foot on them."

"So I guess that means your plan of sneaking into Hermione's room didn't work out after all, did it?" Harry asked.

He had been asleep when Ron had come in that night and although he had woken up to Ron tripping over his suitcase and swearing rather loudly, Harry pretended to still be asleep. He just wasn't up for a late night talk with Ron or anyone for that matter. Going back to Hogwarts had been harder on him than he thought it ever would be, but he didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, half the plan's ruined anyway."

"Half?"

"The girls could still come over here," Ron said, smiling. "But, what about you? Where did you and Ginny disappear to last night?"

"Just walked around a bit," Harry answered. "We tried our best to avoid any other human beings."

"It's mad how everyone's been acting around here."

Ron began to rummage through the nightstand next to his bed. He pulled out a bag of licorice.

"I didn't expect it to be like this," Harry stated.

"That's what Hermione said last night," Ron commented as he gnawed on a piece of black licorice. He held one out to Harry.

"I don't know how you can eat that stuff so early in the morning."

Ron shrugged and shoved the piece into his mouth.

"Are you sorry you came?" Ron asked with his mouth full.

"No, I'm not sorry. I guess I just expected things to be…the same, but it'll never be the same. Things changed…we changed. But, nevertheless, Hogwarts will always be my home."

"Harry!" Ginny yelled from the common room below.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted.

"Get down here!" They said together.

"Why do they both have to be morning people?" Ron asked, collapsing back onto his bed. He threw the covers over his head.

Less than a half hour later, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were at Hagrid's front door. Hermione knocked and, within seconds, the door sprang open.

"Ah…there you are!" Hagrid greeted. He ushered them inside. As they entered, they each looked around the familiar hut.

"Well, at least we know one thing hasn't change," Ron said as he looked at a large jar full of a green goop that contained a small, oblong, pink creature. Ron could make out no actual features on the creature, but it was definitely swimming around.

"Don't mind pinkie there," Hagrid said, taking a seat at his small, round table.

"Hagrid, what exactly is Pinkie?" Ginny asked. Ron tapped at the jar. Within an instant, hundreds of teeth appeared all over Pinkie's body and it began thrashing itself against the side of the jar.

"Never mind," Ginny said, swallowing hard.

"Sit, sit," Hagrid beckoned.

Ron and Hermione sat on a small bench beside each other while Harry and Ginny sat on stools around the table.

Fang began to snore from the corner where he was sleeping.

"Old dog snores louder than ever," Hagrid commented.

"It was nice of you to ask us to breakfast," Hermione said as she stared at a bubbling pot that was hanging over a crackling fire. Hagrid always seemed to have something brewing, but it was safer to not ask what it was.

"Had to have you four down 'fore ya go back home," Hagrid said. "Want some tea?"

He reached for the teapot in the middle of the table and began to pour some for each of them. As Harry looked into his cup, he crinkled his nose. The tea looked more like green sludge. Although eating at Hagrid's was always a gamble, it was worth it just to spend time with him.

"We've still got a few more days," Hermione mentioned. "We won't be leaving until after the dinner on Friday."

"That is if we can make it through the rest of the week without getting mauled first," Ron added.

"Already talked to Professor McGonagall 'bout that," Hagrid stated. "She's gonna talk to the students 'bout makin' the four of ya feel more…welcome rather than treatin' ya like…well, like they been treatin' ya. She wants ya ta have a good time while you're here."

"We are," Hermione replied.

"Glad ta hear it. Now, who wants some egg?"

Hagrid took the cover off a nearby pot. A putrid smell filled the air.

"I'm not hungry," all four of them said at the same time.

-----

Nearly three hours later, they managed to escape Hagrid's without actually eating anything. Hagrid didn't seem to notice that they simply poked their eggs with their forks, rather than eating them. Ron even scooped some onto a plate for Fang and put it on the floor, but, as soon as Fang sniffed it, he pushed it away with his nose.

"I'm starving," Ron complained as his stomach grumbled loudly.

"We can tell," Hermione replied, pointing to his stomach.

Hermione led the way back up towards the castle with Ron just behind her. With their arms wrapped around each other's waists, Ginny and Harry trailed behind.

"How is it that you're not starving?" He asked.

"Ginny and I were smart enough to get up early and get something to eat before we went to Hagrid's."

"Well, you could have invited us," Ron mumbled.

"I would have except I knew someone would bite my head off if I woke him up."

"Do you two have to fight all the time?" Ginny questioned.

Hermione and Ron both turned around. "No!" They shouted.

Harry smiled as they continued walking on. He knew that despite all the fighting, Hermione and Ron were made for each other.

Harry looked around him, just taking in the view. He noticed the quidditch pitch not far in the distance.

"Hey, who's up for a game of quidditch?" He asked.

"Oh, it'll be like old times!" Ginny shrieked, grabbing Harry's arm.

"Except without a team," Ron snorted. "Besides, Harry, I'm starving."

Harry looked over at Hermione.

"Count me out. I want to go finish reading some of those books in the library."

"Looks like it's just me and you then, Gin."

She smiled. "Bet I can beat you to the pitch."

"You're on," Harry said.

They both took off running, holding hands.

"They are so in love," Hermione sighed.

Ron rolled his eyes and continued to walk on.

"Still hungry…" he mumbled, ignoring her.

Author's Note:

Okay, I realize that this wasn't the most exciting chapter, but I promise that things will start getting more interesting between Ron and Hermione really soon so stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Ron walked down the overgrown path that looked like it hadn't been tended to since he and the gang had left Hogwarts. After he had grabbed something to eat from the Great Hall and then returned to his room for a quick nap, he started looking for her everywhere. He scoured every inch of the library, but she was nowhere to be found. As the lake came into view, he stopped. There she was, sitting cross legged on a large, uncomfortable looking rock. Her back was to him and her head was bent forward, her long hair flowing freely in the slight breeze. He smiled, knowing immediately that, like most other times when he found her, she was reading. While books never held any special meaning for him, he loved that they were so important to her. Books were a part of what made her what who she was.

"Hey Ron!" Harry yelled as he ran down the path towards Ron, pushing overgrown grass out of his way.

Ron put up his hand to signal to Harry to stop shouting. Hermione kept on reading, not hearing anything.

Harry approached Ron and stood beside him. He looked out at the lake and smiled a knowing smile when he saw Hermione. He had caught himself many times just staring at Ginny when she didn't know it. Harry slapped Ron on the back.

"You've got it bad," Harry commented.

"What?" Ron asked, not really paying attention. He shifted the bag that was hanging from his left shoulder to his right.

"Never mind. What have you got there?" Harry asked, pointing to the bag.

Ron shrugged. "Thought Hermione and I would go on a picnic."

"Since when did Ronald Weasley become thoughtful enough to start planning picnics?"

Ron ignored him.

"So, how was quidditch?" Ron asked.

"It was good, but…"

"Where's Ginny?"

"Neville's showing her some of his gardens, but…"

"You know, you two have barely spent five minutes apart since we got here."

"Look, Ron, speaking of Ginny…I…I wanted to ask you something."

Ron continued to stare at Hermione as she turned the page in her book, never taking her eyes from the words on the page.

"Ron…Ron!"

"What? Sorry." Ron finally looked away from her and looked over at Harry.

"I said I wanted to ask you something."

"Alright, ask me."

Harry cleared his throat and, although he stood a good six inches shorter than Ron, he looked him straight in the eye.

"I've already asked your dad and he's already given me his blessing, but I thought, seeing you're my best mate, that I should ask you, too because…"

"Bloody hell, Harry, just spit it out," Ron said, wanting to focus his attention back on Hermione. Better yet, he wanted to go down to the rock and convince her to put down her book and spend some quality time with him.

"Ron, you know that I love Ginny and she loves me."

"Spare me the details."

"Ron, I want to be with Ginny for the rest of my life…I…I want to ask her to marry me and I want your permission to do it." The words tumbled out of Harry's mouth. Harry tried to read Ron's face, but it was completely blank. Ron just stared straight ahead, not moving.

"Ron, did you hear what…"

"Marry her? Why would you want to marry her?"

Ron's reaction wasn't exactly what Harry had anticipated.

"Because…because I love her."

"Love her? Harry, we're only twenty years old. How can you really know what love is?"

"You love Hermione."

"This isn't about me and Hermione. And even if you do really love Ginny, why do you want to go off and marry her? I mean, there are so many other girls out there, Harry."

"I don't want other girls, Ron." Harry sighed. "When I'm with her, all the memories…all the bad things that ever happened to us go away. She knows who I am, Ron. She doesn't know the famous Harry Potter, she knows me."

"I know you, Harry, but you don't want to marry me."

Harry sighed. He hadn't expected this to be so difficult.

"When I'm with her, Ron, I'm truly happy."

Ron folded his arms across his chest.

"You really want to marry her? I mean, you're sure that that's what you really want?"

"More than anything in this world."

This time it was Ron who sighed. His head was reeling. There was something too surreal about his best friend asking for his little sister's hand in marriage.

"Then I…I guess you have my permission," Run stuttered as he had a tendency to do when he got nervous.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

An awkward silence fell over them.

"Guess this means we'll be brother-in-laws then," Ron finally mumbled to break the silence.

"I don't think we needed a marriage between us to make us brothers."

"Guess this'll just make it official then."

"That's if she says yes."

"She'll say yes, Harry. I don't know why you'd even want to think about getting married so young, but, trust me, she'll say yes. She's been writing Mrs. Ginny Potter all over her notebooks since before we even knew you. Besides, she loves you. She always has."

"Thanks, Ron. I've got to go find Ginny."

Harry turned to walk back down the hill.

"Harry!" Ron called after him.

"She snores louder than the Hogwarts Express," he warned. "I just thought you should know before you actually ask her."

"I live with your snoring all these years," Harry replied, smiling. "And thanks again, Ron…for everything,"

Ron watched Harry until he disappeared into the thick grass. He turned back towards Hermione, who was still busily reading. As the wind blew, Ron watched as Hermione tried to secure some loose hair behind her ear, but it continued to blow in front of her face. He smiled, but then thought about Harry and Ginny. He was glad that both Harry and Ginny had found someone to love, but it scared Ron to even think of something as big as marriage.

Trying to not think about the general topic of marriage, and deciding to keep the information from Hermione so that Ginny could excitedly tell her after she had actually been proposed to, Ron made his way down the hill. Although he was sure he had clumsily made too much noise, Hermione didn't seem to notice. He approached her slowly from behind and quickly placed his hands over her eyes.

She gasped out of surprise, but smiled.

"Ron," she groaned. "I was reading."

He left his hands over her eyes, lowered his head, and began to nibble on her ear.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Hermione?" Ron finally took his hands from her eyes as he relocated his lips to her neck. "Reading is overrated."

He pushed her hair aside to give him more access to her skin. A small moan escaped her lips, a sound that Ron had grown accustomed to loving. She let the book fall from her hands and it landed with a thump on the ground.

His left hand reached to cup her cheek as he moved in front of her and their lips found each other. She buried her own hands in his thick, red hair. She would never admit it to him, but his red hair was what attracted him to her the most.

"Did you come here just to disturb my reading?" Hermione questioned once their lips had parted.

"Well, I figured if you keep reading the way you do, you'll get too smart for me and not want to be with me anymore."

"I promise you one thing, Ronald Weasley, no matter how smart I get," she leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I'll still love you."

He had heard the words from her before, many times in fact, but each time they still struck him.

"I brought us a picnic," he stated, dropping the bag on the ground.

"Oh." Hermione couldn't help but hide her disappointment. She had begun to notice that any time she told Ron that she loved him, he not only didn't say it back, but he always immediately changed the subject. Although she knew that he did love her, it still would have helped if he said it more often.

Ron began to take different objects out of the small bag. He spread out a large, red and black checkered blanket over the ground and placed two plates and two candlestick holders in the middle.

"You thought of everything," she said as he pulled out a large basket of steaming hot biscuits. "Or, should I say, Ginny thought of everything."

"Ginny?"

"You never were very good at the bottomless bag spell," Hermione pointed out as Ron pulled out a whole apple pie that was obviously bigger than the bag itself.

"Alright so maybe Ginny put the spell on the bag, but I told her what to put in it."

"Well, I love it."

She kissed Ron on the cheek and sat down on top of the blanket. Ron sat down next to her and placed his arm around her. She settled against him as the sun began to set over the lake.

"I'm glad we came back," Hermione said.

"Me too," Ron agreed. He heard Hermione sigh satisfactorily. "Me too."

Author's Note:

This was the chapter that really inspired me to write this whole story and I actually wrote this one before I wrote the last six chapters. (I have a really bad habit of writing stories out of order and then I'm forced to spend a lot of time fixing the chapters so they make sense) I hope you liked this one and please don't forget to comment!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Two hours later, the sun had disappeared behind the trees that surrounded Hogwarts and the crescent moon hung high in the sky. Hermione and Ron hadn't left the spot near the rock where Hermione had been reading. They had had their fill of freshly baked milk biscuits, chicken, garlic potatoes, and chocolate soufflé for dessert that Ron had insisted on spoon feeding her and were laying out on the blue and white checkered blanket Ron had packed. Hermione's head rested on Ron's stomach and they held onto each other's hands, which rested on Ron's chest, just above his heart. With his free hand, Ron stroked her hair, running the thick strands threw his fingers. He breathed in her familiar scent of lilies and vanilla and smiled.

Her eyes were closed and he listened to her breathe. Watching her sleep was one of his guiltiest pleasures, one that he would never admit if anyone asked him, but one that he enjoyed nonetheless. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it lightly.

"When did you become such a romantic?" Hermione asked quietly with her eyes still closed.

"I thought you were sleeping," he remarked, kissing each of her knuckles individually.

"I was." She rolled over, leaning on her elbows. "But I asked you a question. When did you become such a romantic?"

"I was born romantic," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to him so that their foreheads were almost touching. She laid back down beside him and he slipped his arm under her head to cushion it.

"The Ronald Weasley I met on the train with dirt on his nose was not born a romantic."

"The dirt was just part of my charm."

"Oh, so now you have charm, too, huh? Did you learn that from _Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches_?"

Ron's face turned white. He had no idea that she even knew the book existed. And the fact that she knew he read it embarrassed him. Then again, he would be even more embarrassed if she ever found out just how much he had taken from the book. After all, it was only because of the book that Ron ever asked Hermione out on their first actual date in the first place.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he stated.

"So you're telling me that when you asked me out on our first official date and you said, and I quote, 'Hermione, would you do me the great honor of gracing me with your presence and accompanying me to dinner this evening,' you came up with that on your own?"

"So maybe I had a little help, but it got you to go out with me, didn't it?"

"Ron, I would have gone out with you if you had scribbled me a note on a piece of toilet paper."

"Well, if I had known that, I wouldn't have tried so hard."

Hermione gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, I'm glad you did try so hard. It was nice having you opening all of my doors and pulling out my chair."

"Opening doors was an entire chapter in the book," Ron confessed.

Hermione giggled and propped herself up, leaning over him.

"Well, since you came clean, I have something to confess, too."

"Oh, and what's that?" Ron asked, staring into her eyes. He could have gotten lost in them forever.

"Ginny gave me a similar book for young witches."

"She what?"

"She said it was the one book she was sure I'd never read, but it was the one book that I needed more than anything…including Hogwarts A History."

Ron smirked. "Well, what did the book say?"

"It just gave me some tips."

"What kind of tips?"

"Like how to do this."

She began to nibble on his ear and down his jaw. He felt her body pressed against his and he ran his hands over her back as their lips made contact. It surprised him every time she kissed him. He never knew that kissing could mean so much or make him feel so much. Sure, kissing Lavendar had been nice, but it was nothing compared to kissing Hermione. Kissing Hermione set off fireworks in his head, sent chills down his spine, and made his whole body tingle.

"Remind me to thank Ginny," he remarked as Hermione rolled off of him and nuzzled her face against his neck.

"So, what were you and Harry talking about?" Hermione asked, reaching for his hand.

"You saw us?"

"Unlike some people, I can multi-task."

"I can multi-task," Ron stated, burying his free hand in her hair. "After all, I spent six years going to classes and pining over you at the same time. Not to mention a whole year defeating you-know-who while trying to tell you how I felt."

Hermione smiled and kissed his cheek.

"So, what were you and Harry talking about?" She pried.

"When did you become so nosey?"

"Nosey, huh?"

She rolled on top of him and began to tickle him. She aimed for his stomach, knowing that was the exact spot that always got him.

"No…stop!" He cried, laughing uncontrollably.

"Tell me…" she taunted, continuing to tickle him.

She brushed her lips against his neck. She barely made contact with his skin, but it was enough to drive him crazy.

"Alright, alright!"

Smiling at her own seductive ability that she never knew she had, she sat up beside him. He leaned back on his elbows.

"Harry just wanted to talk to me," Ron said simply.

"Ronald," she replied in her usual 'you're annoying me' voice.

"Okay, Harry wanted to ask me something."

"Am I going to have to tickle this out of you?"

"No, but you could kiss it out of me."

He sat up and leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"Not until you tell me."

"Alright, but you've got to promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise."

"And you have to promise to be excited when Ginny tells you."

"Ginny? Ron, you're not making any sen…oh! Oh! Oooh!"

She jumped to her feet and began clapping her hands, hopping up and down.

"Hermione, I didn't even tell you yet."

"You didn't have to!" She shrieked. "Harry's going to ask Ginny to marry him, isn't he?!"

"You really do know everything, don't you?"

"Ron, this is so exciting! I mean, I knew it would probably happen eventually, but I can't believe that it's happening now! Ginny and I will have to start looking for wedding dresses. And there's so much to plan! Wait until your mother finds out!" She finally stopped jumping and shrieking and looked back down at Ron. "Why aren't you more excited?"

"Well, forgive me for not jumping up and down like a crazy person."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Ron, your sister and your best mate are going to get married! Aren't you just a little bit excited?"

"I don't know."

"What's not to know?"

"They're just so…young."

"Ron, they may be young, but think about how much we've all been through. Age is just a number."

"But how can they know that they are ready to spend the rest of their lives together? I mean, how do they even know that they're in love? And why in the world do they even want to get married? What's the point of marriage? It's just a stupid piece of paper you sign that means you're stuck with the same person for the rest of your life."

"Is that what you think of marriage?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"What?" He looked up at her and noticed that he beautiful eyes were staring at him like daggers ready to strike.

"You think all that marriage is…is being stuck with the same person?"

"Hermione, I wasn't talking about me."

"No, but you were talking about how you feel."

She turned away from him. His words struck her and hurt her. She never before realized just how much she had thought about their future together including getting married and now she felt that dream disintegrating.

Ron stood up.

"Hermione."

"Just answer me one question," she said, whipping around to face him. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she blinked them back. "You say you don't know how Ginny and Harry know they're in love…do you love me?"

"Hermione, you know I care about you and…"

She looked down at the ground as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Wrong answer."

She buried her head in her hands and began to run away. Even the sound of his voice calling out her name couldn't make her stop running.

Author's Note:

Another one of my favorites to write! Hope you enjoyed! Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Hermione!" Ginny swept the deep red curtains that surrounded Hermione's bed aside. She saw Hermione lying down, her head buried in her pillow. "Hermione, get up!" Ginny jumped on the bed, shaking Hermione's shoulders. "HER-M-IONE!"

Hermione lifted her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. She tried not to look at Ginny directly.

"What happened?" Ginny asked, her excitement vanishing.

"Nothing. What are you so excited about?" Hermione asked, trying to not only be cheerful, but also to pretend as best she could that she didn't already know the news Ginny was about to tell her. She tried to smile, but she couldn't muster the effort.

Ginny held out her left hand and dangled it in front of Hermione's face.

"It's beautiful," Hermione said simply, looking at the diamond. It truly was a beautiful ring. It was a round, solitaire diamond that was neither too big nor too small. It fit perfectly on Ginny's finger.

"You knew!" Ginny cried, settling down to sit on the end of the bed.

"What?"

"You knew that Harry was going to propose to me," she said, looking at her own ring. She stuck out her bottom lip and pouted.

"I didn't," Hermione told her, sitting up.

Ginny gave her the 'I know you're lying look.'

"Alright, what's wrong?"

"I told you, nothing."

"You were always a bad liar."

"Look, Ginny, I'm fine. And I'm really, really happy for you and Harry."

"Then why does it look like you're about to burst into tears?"

Hermione grabbed her pillow and hugged it, trying to give her hands something to do. She knew that if she stopped and thought about what had just happened between her and Ron, she would cry again.

"What did that git who calls himself my brother do to you?"

"It's nothing…you should be with Harry celebrating, not up here with me."

"If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. Now tell me."

Hermione sniffled. "He doesn't want to marry me," she squeaked out.

"You asked Ron to marry you?" Ginny asked, confused.

"No…he…we were talking about you and Harry getting married and he…" Hermione stopped. How could she explain to Ginny what happened without revealing that Ron wasn't exactly thrilled that Harry and Ginny were engaged. "He won't even say he loves me."

"Oh, Hermione, he does love you."

"I know…or, at least I thought I knew. I mean, he's said it before, but now…now I'm not so sure."

"Trust me, he loves you."

Hermione wiped the tears from her face that she didn't know had fallen.

"I'm sorry…you shouldn't be here listening to my problems on such an important day."

"No, I should be kicking my brother's arse."

Hermione managed a weak smile. Ginny scooted to the top of the bed and gave Hermione a big hug.

"And it's not even like I want to get married right now," Hermione said. "I mean, the thought has crossed my mind once or twice, but it's not something I've really been expecting. So, in one sense, I feel like I don't even have the right to be angry and on the other hand I'm…I'm pissed."

Ginny laughed. It wasn't often that Hermione used fowl language.

"Yeah, well Ron has a tendency to do that to people. But, trust me, Hermione, he'll come around. He's just…daft. I mean, you of all people should know that. You were his best friend for seven years."

Hermione smiled.

"I just…I'm so sure about how I feel about him, but he…"

"Is a stupid, thoughtless, afraid of commitment boy. But that doesn't mean he doesn't love you. He spends more time thinking and talking about you than anything else. It's always 'Hermione this, Hermione that.' Even before you two finally figured it out and got together, you were everything to Ron. You still are everything to him." Ginny sighed. "Look, I, more than anyone else, know how much of a git my brother can be, but don't push him away just because he made a mistake."

Hermione looked down at the pillow she was still clutching.

"Do you want to be with him?" Ginny asked.

"What?"

"Do you want to be with him?" Ginny repeated.

"Of course I do."

"Then go be with him."

Hermione looked at Ginny, the girl who had become more of a sister than a friend, and smiled.

"Thank you, Ginny…for everything."

In the meantime, Harry leaped onto his old bed and was immediately transported upward to the guest rooms. He landed on his feet and began frantically rummaging through his trunk.

"What are you looking for?"

Harry fell backwards, startled by the voice. He looked over at Ron's bed and saw that he was sitting there, leaning against the headboard, a frown on his face.

"Why aren't you down at dinner?" Harry asked, turning back to his trunk.

"Not hungry," Ron mumbled.

"Who are you and what have you done to my best mate?"

Harry smiled, but he got no reaction from Ron.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, fine," Ron muttered.

Harry shrugged. He knew that there was something wrong with Ron, but he wasn't going to force him to talk about it. Besides, he was too excited to press for more information.

"I guess I should tell you that I asked Ginny," Harry stated, pulling out a piece of parchment from his trunk. "And she said yes." Ron had no response. He just stared at his blanket at the end of the bed. "Ron?"

He finally looked up at Harry.

"Huh?"

"I said I asked Ginny to marry me and she said yes."

"Oh, yeah, that's great," Ron grumbled, not really paying attention. He pulled the blanket he had been staring at up and over his head.

"I just came up here to get some parchment so that we can write to Charlie and Fleur and tell them about the engagement." Harry knew Ron wasn't even listening to him. "And you should know that we're planning on eloping to America and having forty-two children." Harry stared at the lump that was Ron, but there was no reaction. He reached for the blanket and yanked it off his body.

"Leave me alone, Harry!" Ron yelled.

"What did you two fight about now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What did she blow you off for the library or something?"

"No! And this is all your fault!"

"My fault?"

"You just had to ask Ginny to marry you, didn't you?"

"What does me asking Ginny to marry me have to do with you and Hermione?"

"Now she's got the idea of marriage in her head and I don't even know…"

"What?"

Ron sighed deeply.

"I know that I care about her, Harry and I know…I know that I love her, but how do I know if she's the one? I mean, she's all I think about. I go to bed every night thinking about her and wishing she was with me and I wake up every morning aching for her. Just seeing her puts a smile on my face. And I know that we fight and bicker, but it's just part of who we are. And when I thought…when we were captured and she…she was being tortured…I can't imagine life without her."

"I think you just answered your own question."

Ron ran his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, well now it might be too late. I blew it, Harry."

"Then why are you here telling me all this? Why aren't you telling her?"

Ron jumped off his bed and headed for the ladder.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Ron climbed down the ladder and made his way to the common room. He headed for the girl's dormitory, but then stopped. He knew that she was probably up there being consoled by Ginny, but he also knew that he would be denied access to the room and would probably end up with another bruise if he tried to get to her.

As he thought about out how he was going to get Hermione to talk to him and to truly believe that he loved her, he heard the portrait door open.

"Ron!" Jackie strode over to him, batting her eyelashes. "You are just the person I wanted to see!"

"Hey Jackie," Ron said apprehensively.

He turned away from her, hoping that she would just go away. She was just about the last person he wanted to see. Every time she was around, he got nervous, but he didn't quite know why. The last time he had gotten nervous around a girl was when he was secretly in love with Hermione, but wouldn't tell her. Hermione was nothing like Jackie, though. He knew that he had no feelings for Jackie whatsoever. After all, he hardly even knew her. As she ran around him to face him, he realized that there was just something about her that captivated his attention and he couldn't explain it.

"I was hoping you could do that interview now," Jackie exclaimed.

"Interview?" Ron asked cautiously. He took a step away from her and she stepped towards him.

"You know, the one for my father for the paper."

"Oh…yeah." Jackie pulled a notebook and quill pen out of the bag she had slung over shoulder. "Jackie, I…"

"I think we'll be more comfortable on the couch," Jackie stated, reaching for Ron's hand. He felt wrong inside the moment her skin touched his. She curled her fingers around his wrist and dragged him to the couch. She let go of his hand, dropped her bag on the ground, sat, and crossed her legs. Ron couldn't help but notice that her grey skirt crept up her thigh.

He stood awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked away from her, trying not to stare.

"Look, I'm…I don't…I've got somewhere to be," he stuttered, thinking of Hermione. He still desperately needed to talk to her, to get her to see that he loved her more than anything.

"It's only a couple of questions! And besides, I know that everyone will be just dying to read the tale of the Great Ronald Weasley!"

Ron looked up towards the girl's dormitory and then back at Jackie.

"The Great Ronald Weasley, huh?"

Jackie smiled as Ron plopped down on the couch beside her. He would answer a few of her questions and then run off to find Hermione.

"Now…where do we begin?"

Upstairs in the girl's guest room, Hermione hugged Ginny and made her way down the ladder. As she entered the common room, she saw them. Ron's back was towards her, but she could clearly see them sitting way too close together for her liking. She hung back in the shadows, hoping she would go unnoticed.

"How about girlfriends?" Jackie asked.

Ron swallowed a hard lump in his throat. "Girlfriends?" He squeaked.

"Sure. I bet you've dated lots of girls." Jackie swept her hair behind her shoulder. Hermione could feel her skin crawling. Even though Ron was doing nothing wrong, Hermione wanted nothing more than to take out her wand and perform a spell on Jackie that would completely disfigure her face. "So, come on, let's hear it."

"Ah…well…I haven't had too many girlfriends," he replied sheepishly.

"Not a lot of girlfriends? I find that hard to believe. Although, I suppose when you're busy fighting the dark lord there isn't much time for girls."

Ron smiled, but said nothing. She put down he quill and notebook and placed her hand on his knee.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of…being inexperienced, I mean."

"I'm not…"

She scooted closer to him. Hermione's blood began to boil, but she couldn't take her eyes off the scene. Why wasn't Ron pushing her away? Why wasn't he telling her that he was already in a relationship?

"Some girls like that, you know." She ran her hand up his leg slowly. "I know that everyone thought I always liked Harry when we went to school together, but the truth is, I always really sorta had a thing for you."

"Y…you did?" Ron stuttered.

"Sure. Lots of girls did. I mean, who can resist you?"

"Well…" Ron could feel his cheeks growing warm. He knew that he should get up and leave, but he couldn't help but be flattered. No one had ever told him before that they liked him, except for Hermione, of course.

"And you know what I like about you the most?" She ran her hand through his hair and leaned in close to him. "Your hair," she whispered into his ear.

Hermione felt the tears stinging her eyes. She wished she could apparate to anywhere as long as it was far away, but she knew that she couldn't while on Hogwarts grounds. All the doubts that Ginny had helped put aside crept back into Hermione's head full force. Ron didn't love her. Perhaps he never had. Realizing she could either run and hide or face the problem, she stepped out of the shadows and walked right over to the couch.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, pushing Jackie off of him and standing up. "Hermione, it's not…"

"Forget it," she said simply. "Forget us."

She buried her head in her hands and ran through the door.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, chasing after her. He stopped as the picture of the fat lady swung closed in front of him. He just stood there, staring at the wall that blocked him.

"You're actually with Hermione Granger?" Jackie asked, standing up and walking next to Ron. "I mean, I heard the rumors, but I didn't think they were true. After all, what could you and Hermione have in common? She's so…plain and boring. Unlike me. Now we, on the other hand, could have such a perfect relationship." Jackie reached for his hand, but he yanked it away.

"We're never going to have any kind of relationship!" Ron shouted. He headed through the door. "And Hermione's not plain and boring! She's smart and funny and beautiful and more of a witch than you'll ever be!"

Ron marched out, leaving Jackie staring after him. He made his way through the hallways, wishing more than anything that he hadn't agreed on doing the interview with Jackie. He was stupid to have even have thought about talking to her, but his ego had gotten in the way. One compliment on being the Great Ronald Weasley and she had him.

Ron's first instinct was to look for her at the library, but he knew that she wouldn't be there. Books may have been important to her, but they weren't what comforted her. He found her sitting cross-legged in the middle of an open, grassy area near the Whomping Willow. She always said that in order to clear your mind, you had to be in an empty place. Ron often found her sitting in the small field behind their flats after she spent a long day in class.

"Go away," she mumbled, turning her body away from him. She wiped the tears that stained her cheeks, but more tears fell."

"Hermione, let me explain."

"You don't have to explain," she insisted, sniffling. "I saw everything."

"No, you didn't."

"I was there, Ron!" She shouted. "I saw you with her!"

"Nothing happened!"

"That may be true, but you didn't even attempt to stop anything from happening! If I hadn't walked in…"

She hugged her knees to her chest.

"Nothing would have happened. Hermione, I promise you…"

"I can't hear this right now," she whispered. "Please, I just need time."

Ron ran his hand through his hair. He didn't want to walk away from her, but he knew that he had to. He had to give her the space she needed to make a decision and hope that, in the end, she would choose him.

"I'll give you all the time you need," he said. "But know this…I love you. I may be stupid and stubborn and afraid, but I know that I love you. I've loved you since before we were even old enough to know what love is and I'll love you for the rest of my life."

He took one last look at her and walked away.

Author's Note:

I have to admit – this wasn't my favorite chapter to write mainly because I got to a point in the story where I just didn't know where I wanted to go with it. I realized I probably could have ended the story happily with this chapter if I wanted to, but I just didn't feel like that was right. So, alas, there shall be a few more chapters to go, but I promise that the finale will be a good one (since I've already got that all planned out in my head)!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

He saw her hunched over, not with a usual book in her hands, but with her head buried in her arms. He shoved his hands in his pocket and slowly walked over to her.

"Leave me alone," she groaned, not looking up.

"Hermione," he said quietly.

She lifted her head as Harry kneeled beside her. Before he could say another word, she looked down at the grass beneath them and began to play with a green blade.

"Are you sure you want to be here, Harry? Isn't this like fraternizing with the enemy?"

He watched her wipe her eyes with the back of her hand so as not to show him her tears. Despite all they had been through together, she still had a difficult time showing him her emotions.

"First of all," he began, "Neither Ron nor I think you're the enemy." He placed his fingers lightly under her chin and applied a light pressure, forcing her to look at him. "Second of all, you're my best friend, too, Hermione."

"Did he send you to talk to me?" Hermione asked as Harry removed his fingers and settled down beside her.

Harry shook his head. "No. He doesn't even know I'm here. I just figured you could just use a friend right about now and Ginny's busy showing off her ring to everyone."

Hermione managed a weak smile, imaging how Ginny was probably walking the halls right now showing her ring to anyone who would stop and look at it. In her mind, Hermione was secretly jealous.

"I never got to say congratulations. I really am happy for you and Ginny, Harry."

"Thanks." He took a deep breath. "So, do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"How Ron is the biggest git in the world," Harry answered.

Hermione smiled again, but this time with more effort. Her heart might have been broken, but Harry never ceased to make her smile.

"I couldn't agree with you more," she stated.

"He loves you, Hermione."

She looked back at the grass. "It's not that simple."

"Why?"

This time it was Hermione who took a deep breath.

"He…he was with her."

She could feel the tears stinging her eyes once again, but she blinked them away. She tried to shake the memory of seeing Ron sitting on the couch with Jackie from her mind, but it wouldn't budge. It was like it was permanently imprinted on her brain.

"What?" Harry asked, sensing the hurt behind Hermione's eyes. He knew that Ron had done things before that angered Hermione, but Harry had never before seen such deep sadness in her eyes before.

"Jaclyn Andrews. He was with her…in the common room…on the couch…"

"Hermione, you know Ron would never…do anything," Harry stated, hoping that what he said was true. He trusted his best friend and believed that Ron truly did love Hermione, but it was difficult to say with absolute certainty that Ron was innocent when Harry wasn't even there to witness the whole scene.

"And he wasn't doing anything wrong. I mean, they were just talking."

"So, if he wasn't doing anything wrong. What's the problem?"

"She was...flirting with him, Harry…trying to seduce. And she was succeeding! And he…he did nothing! He just sat there while she flattered him and touched him and…if I hadn't walked in the room, I don't know what would have happened."

"Nothing would have happened. I know deep down you know that."

She sniffled as a tear fell down her cheek.

"But does that mean it was okay?" She asked.

"Hermione, you know Ron. When someone, especially a girl, is falling all over him or telling him how great he is, he gets…flabbergasted and he completely forgets…everything."

"So any time a pretty girl tells him he's hot, I'm supposed to just sit back and let her…grope him?"

"Well, of course not, but…"

"But what, Harry? What if it were Ginny? What if some guy was flirting with her and she didn't look like she was doing anything to stop it?"

"Then I'd punch him."

"Exactly."

"But I wouldn't stop loving Ginny."

"I'm not saying that I've stopped loving Ron. I just…I want to make sure that this is real. I want to make sure that he's not just saying what he thinks I want to hear. I want to make sure that he's in this for the right reasons and that he truly loves me and…and even if he doesn't want to marry me right now that he could see us getting married in the future because if not…what's the point?"

"Just give him a chance, Hermione."

"We've been together for two years. How many chances am I supposed to give him?"

"Trust me, I've heard the way he talks about you. I've seen the way he looks at you. It's worth giving him another chance."

"You know, Harry, this would have all been so much easier if I had fallen in love with you."

"What?" Harry asked, not sure whether to laugh or look at Hermione like she was crazy.

"You always know what to say. You always know how to make things better. If only some of that had rubbed off on Ron after all these years."

"We don't choose who we fall in love with, Hermione. Sometimes our hearts do things that we'll never understand."

"When did you get to be so smart?"

He shrugged. "I had some very smart best friends."

She smiled as Harry enveloped her in a hug.

Meanwhile, Ron slammed his fist into the solid wall of the common room. He pulled his hand away in pain, wondering what could have possessed him to think punching the wall was a good idea in the first place. Then the image of her floated through his head. Usually when he thought of her, she was laughing or smiling or even sometimes yelling at him, but this time she was crying and he knew that he had been the reason for her tears.

"You arse!" Ginny yelled, walking through the opening to the common room.

"Good to see you, too," Ron mumbled as he flopped down on the couch.

"I don't know what you did, Ronald Weasley, but whatever you did, you're an arse for it."

Ginny stood over him with her hands on her hips, a stance his mother often took when she was angry. It amazed him how much he saw of his mother in Ginny. On this particular occasion, though, it wasn't amazing, it was downright annoying.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"All I know is that Hermione is outside right now crying her eyes with my fiancé's arms wrapped around her!"

Ron sat straight up.

"What?"

"Not like that!" Ginny snapped. "I hate to sound self-centered, but I was hoping that on the day I got engaged, I could spend time with my fiancé rather than having him out there comforting his best friend because his future brother in law is a complete arse!"

"You know you've said that word three times in the last three minutes?"

Her cheeks flared red with anger.

"This isn't funny, Ronald!" She hit him hard on the shoulder.

"Hey!" He yelled.

"What in the bloody hell did you do to her?"

"Why do you assume this is my fault?" He asked, holding his arm as if she had caused him serious pain.

"Because when I left Hermione, she was ready to forgive you for not telling her you loved her and now she's back to sobbing."

Ron sighed as Ginny sat down on the couch next to him.

"I messed up, Ginny," he admitted.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated with you? Why can't you just open up and tell her how you really feel, Ron?"

"I wanted to, but…but I made a mistake."

"This mistake doesn't happen to be named Jackie, does it?"

"How did you know?"

"Please, Ron, I lived in a tiny house with you for nineteen years. I know more about you than you'd think. And I know that as much as you love the attention, you love Hermione more."

"I don't love attention."

Ginny gave him one of their mother's famous looks. It was the 'I know you know I'm right' look.

"She said she needed time," Ron said.

"Then give time, but make sure she knows how you really feel."

Ginny stood up.

"Thanks Ginny."

"What are little sisters for if not to give love advice to their big brothers?"

He smiled as she began to walk off to show some more people her new finger accessory.

"Oh, and Ginny," Ron called out after her.

Ginny turned. "Yeah?"

"Congratulations. You and Harry are going to be really happy together."

She smiled. "Thanks. That means a lot to me coming from you."

She walked out of the common room. As the portrait door swung closed, Ron laid down on the couch and wondered just how much time Hermione would need.

Author's Note:

Okay, I know that I said I would post more often and I haven't been doing that, but life has just become so hectic!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Ron looked at himself in the full-length mirror. His new grey and dark blue dress robes certainly looked better than the old ones he was forced to wear to the Yule Ball back in his fourth year, but his upgraded attired didn't make him feel any better. Hermione hadn't spoken to him since she had told him that she needed time and it had been three days. Ron told himself that he would give her as much time as she needed, but after the first day of the silent treatment, Ron tried to get her to talk to him and she wouldn't budge. A few times he tried just talking to her, but it was more like talking at her, since she never seemed to be paying attention. No matter how many times he said "I love you," to her she would always walk away from him as if he had said nothing at all. Ron knew that he deserved the silent treatment, but it didn't make it any easier.

"You ready?" Harry asked, coming up behind him.

"I'm not going," Ron stated as he began to pull off his dress robes and throw them on the floor.

"You can't not go. This dinner is the whole reason McGonagall invited us here in the first place."

"And what am I supposed to do the whole time? Sit around and be miserable while you Ginny are off snogging in the corner?"

"We won't be snogging in the corner."

"Well, whatever. You two will be off in your little world and I'll be stuck all by myself wallowing in my own misery."

Harry sighed and sat down on his bed.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I haven't exactly…been there for you these past few days." And he was right. Since had and Ginny had become engaged, they started spending more and more time together and Ron had been spending more and more time alone.

"It's not your fault, Harry. I'm the one who got myself into this in the first place. Me and my ego."

"Look, Ron, I know…I know it can't always have been easy for you being my best mate and all. But I want you to know that I never once went looking to become…famous. I don't even think I am famous, but apparently everyone else thinks I am. And I never once thought that I was any better than you and…"

"What are you going on about, Harry? Do you think…I'm jealous of you?"

"Well, no, I just…"

Ron started to laugh out loud for what felt like the first time in a long time.

"Trust me, Harry, I wouldn't want to be you," he said after regaining his composure.

"Well, thanks, Ron," Harry replied, not sure how to take Ron's statement.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean that as a bad thing, but like I already said, none of this was your fault. Ginny was right – I like attention. I just never realized how much that can hurt the people around me. And trust me, you'll never find me being flattered by Jackie or any other woman again."

"You should tell all that to Hermione."

"If only she'd let me," Ron said, sitting down beside Harry.

"Well, as far as going to the dinner and sitting around and being miserable is concerned, I think that's the best thing you can do."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Harry."

"Well, the more miserable you are, the more Hermione will see that you're missing her."

Ron contemplated Harry's suggestion for a moment. What he said did make sense, but that didn't mean that he wanted to go.

"I'm still not going," Ron insisted.

"You're going."

Harry stood up and began his descent down the ladder. Ron groaned as he pulled his robes back on.

In the girl's guest room, Ginny quickly applied a bright red lipstick to her lips. She covered the lipstick and dabbed her lips with a tissue to get off some of the excess. She knew that Harry wouldn't appreciate it if he was covered in lipstick by the end of the night.

"You look beautiful," Hermione complimented, pushing aside the red drapes that surrounded her bed. Ginny looked back at her, smiling.

"I thought you weren't going," Ginny said, noticing that Hermione was dressed in a beautiful, strapless black, floor-length gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was expertly curled in small ringlets that framed her face beautifully.

"Mind if I borrow some of your makeup?" Hermione asked, standing up and walking over to Ginny.

Ginny handed over her small, green makeup bag. Hermione began to dig through it and took out some eye shadow.

"What made you change your mind?" Ginny asked as Hermione attempted to apply the eye shadow to her eyes without poking her actual eyeball. She never did understand why women put themselves through putting on makeup. In Hermione's opinion, makeup was just another form of torture, but she also knew that tonight was different and she was going to make it as special as possible.

"I figured your brother has squirmed enough over the past few days."

Ginny stared at Hermione, her mouth gaping open.

"So, you mean, all this time you've just been…playing with him?"

"Well, yes and no."

"Here, let me help you," Ginny offered, knowing Hermione knew little about makeup. Ginny grabbed the eye shadow from Hermione and began to apply it for her.

"I mean, I was upset," Hermione continued. "I still sort of am, but not being with him over these past few days made me realize how much I miss him. And I have never seen Ron so determined to do something than when he was trying to get me to talk to him. If only he concentrated so hard on his studies as he did on that when we were in school."

Ginny giggled as she put the eye shadow away and pulled out a tube of cover-up.

"You are a sly woman, Ms. Hermione Granger."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Hermione said, smiling. "Besides, seeing the look on Ron's face every time I basically ignored him told me all I needed to know."

"I told you he loved you."

"I know," Hermione replied. "And now I know for sure."  
Ginny pulled out a tube of mascara.

"Close your eyes," she instructed.

"What is that thing?" Hermione asked.

"It's mascara. Now close your eyes."

"What if you poke my eye out?" Hermione practically shrieked.

"Hermione, you've faced the darkest magic in the world, but you can't handle a little mascara? Stop being such a baby."

Hermione closed her eyes as Ginny brushed her lashes with the mascara.

"Ron better appreciate this," Hermione mumbled.

"Let me tell you, Ron is going to all but fall over when he sees you. Especially in that dress."

"I don't think Harry'll be staying on his feet, either when he sees you," Hermione said, as she opened her eyes and looked at Ginny's beautiful, knee-length red dress.

"We've got some lucky boyfriends," Ginny joked, putting her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"If only they realized just how lucky they are," Hermione responded, laughing.

Author's Note:

I know this one is a little shorter than my chapters usually are, but this one just kind of spilled out very quickly and I liked how it turned out. Only one more chapter left!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Ron and Harry stood at the bottom of the stairs at the entrance of the Great Hall. The doors were closed, but they could hear the students inside talking, laughing, and overall just having a good time.

Ron sat on the last stair with his head resting on his hand and his elbow propped on his knee. Harry paced slowly back and forth. He had no idea why he was nervous. The butterflies in his stomach reminded him of his and Ginny's first date. Of course, he knew he had no reason to be nervous. After all, they had come a long way from the first time he asked her to dinner, but it didn't stop his stomach from feeling queasy.

"Bloody hell, Harry, stop pacing," Ron groaned.

"I can't help it," Harry explained, running his hand nervously through his hair.

"What do you have to be nervous about?"

Harry sighed. "I can't dance."

"So?"

"So, Ginny likes to dance and all of her other…boyfriends were good dancers and I'm…"

"Terrible."

"Thanks for the confidence, Ron."

Ron shrugged. "She's already agreed to marry you. How much more confidence do you need?" Harry didn't reply. "Look, she loves you for who you are, not for how well you can dance."

Harry glanced over at Ron, surprised sometimes at the deep things that came out of Ron's mouth. As Harry opened his mouth to say something in response, he saw her at the top of the stairs.

"What?" Ron asked, thinking Harry was looking at him.

Harry couldn't help but stare at Ginny. She looked unbelievably beautiful. It wasn't often that they all had an excuse to dress up. As matter of fact, the last time Harry had probably seen Ginny so well dressed was back at the Yule ball. He made a mental note to start coming up with more excuses to get her in a dress.

"Would you stop drooling over my little sister?" Ron asked, looking back at Ginny and then placing his head back in his hands.

"Oh, shove off, Ron," Ginny remarked as Harry began to walk up the stairs, his eyes transfixed on hers. "Hey there, handsome," she said as Harry approached her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Hi," Harry replied. "You look…amazing."

She blushed as she linked her arms with his. They began to walk down the stairs together.

"Going to sit there all night, Ron?" Ginny asked as they brushed past him.

"Have you seen Hermione?" He mumbled.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be around sooner or later," Ginny answered, smirking. She squeezed Harry's hand, letting him know that everything was going to work itself out.

"Come on," Harry said, "I think we've kept Professor McGonagall waiting long enough."

Still with their arms together, Harry and Ginny walked towards the front doors. Sighing, Ron got up and followed. The doors swung open as they approached.

The Great Hall was decorated more magnificently than any of them had ever seen. The old, wooden tables were covered with pure white linens. The benches had been replaced with intricately carved wooden chairs. At each place there was a full setting complete with more forks than any of them knew what to do with, all trimmed in gold. The ceiling reflected the night sky and was alive with shooting stars. Gold and silver streamers made of silk were hung from wall to wall and all four house flags hung proudly from every wall.

"It's beautiful," Ginny said as they walked in.

The entire school was already inside, not sitting, but talking amongst themselves and mingling. Harry barely recognized anyone without their robes on. Even the teachers were among the students, laughing and listening to the music that was playing even though no one could tell where it was coming from. A large area towards the front of the Great Hall had been completely cleared and couples were already beginning to dance.

"Harry," Ron whispered, nudging Harry in the back.

"What?" Harry asked, looking back.

"Nobody's staring at us."

Harry looked around. Ron was right. No one was looking at them. No one was pointing at them. No one was even whispering about them as they walked by.

"Looks like that chat Hagrid said that McGonagall had with everyone worked," Ginny said as they made their way to what was usually the Gryffindor table. As they walked, they noticed that it didn't matter what house you were in, everyone was sitting wherever they wanted, simply enjoying each other's company.

"Ron! Harry! Ginny!" Neville called from across the room. Dressed in a handsome set of dark green robes, Neville approached them.

"Hey Neville," Harry said, shaking his hand.

"I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to see you guys much. Professor Sprout and I have a batch of wigglyleaves that need constant attention or they wiggle right out of their pots."

"Sounds fascinating, Neville," Ron remarked somewhat sarcastically. At that particular moment, he couldn't have cared less about wigglyleaves. He just wanted to find Hermione.

"Luna and I have some seats at the table over there," Neville explained, pointing to a table in the far right corner.

"Luna's here?" Ginny asked.

"Well, she was. I think she's gone off looking for her shoes. Seems the nargles are at it again," Neville explained, smiling.

"Neville, are you and Luna…dating?" Harry asked.

Neville blushed. "For the past few months. She came to visit and we sorta…clicked."

"Sure, everyone's love life turned out great except for mine," Ron mumbled under his breath.

"Don't mind him," Ginny interrupted. "He's just mad because he screwed up."

"I heard about what happened," Neville said.

"Great," Ron grumbled. "Does the whole castle know?"

"I don't think so. I overheard Jackie Andrews talking to Faith Donalson, a third year Gryffindor, about how she snuck into the Gryffindor common room and made Hermione run out of the room crying."

"That must be how Jackie got the password," Ginny remarked. "Another Gryffindor gave it to her."

"Sorry to hear that you and Hermione are having troubles, mate," Neville said, placing his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Always thought you two made a good pair."

"Yeah, thanks," Ron mumbled.

"Well, it was nice to see you all. I'm going to go find Luna. Maybe we'll see you later. I'm sure she'd love to catch up with you."

"Bye Neville," Ginny said as Neville walked away. Ron looked around, noticing that most everyone was coupled with someone else. Everyone except for him.

"I'm going to go sit," Ron said. "Coming Harry?"

"Forget sitting," Ginny exclaimed. "Harry, do you want to dance?"

"Oh…I…" Harry stuttered.

"Please," Ginny begged. "For me?" She batted her eyelashes at him, knowing that he could never resist when she made her pouting face.

"Well, I wouldn't want to leave Ron here all by himse…"

"Trust me, he'll be fine," Ginny said, tugging on his hand.

"Sorry mate," Harry grumbled as Ginny dragged him away.

Trying to not look at any of the couples that surrounded him, Ron made his way to the table Neville said he and Luna were sitting at. He sat down in one of the chairs, sighing. He picked up his cup, happily surprised that it was already full of pumpkin juice, and he took a sip.

"A gentleman would offer his lady a drink before he took one for himself," Hermione said.

Nearly spilling the pumpkin juice all over himself, Ron turned in his chair and saw her standing a few feet away.

"Hermione," he whispered, barely able to get the word out. He wasn't sure what left him speechless more, the fact that she was standing there apparently talking to him or the fact that she looked drop dead gorgeous.

She could see from his eyes what he thought of her and it made her smile.

"You like?" She teased, twirling around.

"Hermione, you look…you're…"

She stepped towards him.

"I'm what?" She asked somewhat seductively, still with a smile on her face.

"You're beautiful," he finally said.

He reached for her hand and was pleasantly surprised that she didn't pull it away when their fingers made contact. He slowly lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly.

"Hermione…" her name seemed to be the only word that he could manage to coherently get out of his mouth. He had always thought she was beautiful, but tonight she was sensational.

"Come on," she said, "let's dance."

With his hand in hers, she headed for the dance floor.

"Wait, Hermione…" Ron began to say.

He couldn't figure her out. One minute she was so angry with him that she wouldn't even speak to him and the next minute she wanted to dance. Although he loved dancing with her, or rather, he loved anything that allowed him to put his arms around her, he had so many things he wanted to say to her. There were so many things that he needed her to understand.

She ignored his protests and instead led him to the dance floor. When they found an empty spot amongst the other couples, Hermione wrapped both her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on her hips. She rested her head against his chest, leaning into the crook of his neck. They swayed to the music, but barely moved from the spot they were standing in. Ron was just treasuring the fact that he was holding her again.

"I've missed you," she whispered after a few moments of silence.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," he replied quietly, holding her closer.

She picked up her head to look at him.

"It's not your fault," she said. "I shouldn't have pushed you. And I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about you and Jackie. I mean, I saw that nothing…"

"Nothing happened between us, Hermione, I swear."

"I know."

"And nothing ever will."

"I know."

"I was foolish for what I did. I should have told her off the minute she started talking to me. I should have…" He sighed, trying to think of all the things he had practiced telling her in front of the mirror, but, looking into her eyes, he couldn't think of any of them. "I love you, Hermione," he said simply. He watched a tear fall down her cheek. "I've always loved you. And I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I was just so scared of…"

She put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"You don't have to explain it to me. You don't have to say anything because it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we're together."

She placed her head against his chest again.

"How about I just say four words then?" He whispered into her ear.

He let go of her waist and disentangled her arms from around his neck.

"Ron, what are you…"

He got down on one knee and pulled a small, black box out of his pocket.

"Will you marry me?"

Hermione brought her hands to her mouth and gasped.

"Ron, you don't have to…I mean…you don't have to if you're not ready or if you're not sure."

He shook his head.

"I've never been more sure of anything in this world. I love you, Hermione. And I will love you for the rest of my life. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. And I'm sorry that it took almost losing you to figure that out. But I never want to lose you again. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

A trail of tears ran down her cheek.

"Yes!"

"Yes?" He repeated, wanting to make sure that he had heard her correctly.

"Yes!" She shouted.

He jumped to his feet, and embraced her. He lifted her off her feet and swung her around. Everyone around them, including Harry and Ginny, stopped dancing and circled around them.

Ron crushed his lips against Hermione's, kissing her more passionately than he ever thought possible. He had made the decision to propose to her the minute she had told him she needed time after she had seen him with Jackie. He knew from that moment that he couldn't bear to spend any more time without her. He had gone to Hogsmead the next day and bought the ring with some of the money he had been saving from working at The Leaky Cauldron. Hermione might have thought the job was below him, but Ron had already begun to save enough money to start their new life together.

"Everyone's watching," Hermione whispered against his lips.

"Who cares?" Ron asked as he again captured her lips with his. They could hear everyone clapping around them, but that didn't break their kiss.

"If everyone will please take their seats," Professor McGonagall said at the podium that was at the front of the room.

Ron and Hermione finally broke and walked together to their seats, as did everyone else. Ron slipped the ring on Hermione's finger as they sat. Not having even had the chance to look at it, Hermione admired it. It was a nicely sized solitaire, diamond cut ring that fit perfectly on her finger.

"I love it," she said to Ron as everyone else took their seats.

"And I love you," he said, kissing her cheek.

"You two are so cute, it's disgusting," Ginny commented as she and Harry sat across from them.

"Look who's talking," Ron replied, pointing to Ginny and Harry's interlocked fingers.

"Your attention, please," Professor McGonagall said, her voice projecting through the entire room. They all turned so that they were facing her. "As you all know today we are celebrating the death of evil and the day that changed the wizarding world forever for the good. I'd like to first pay tribute to all those friends and family we lost by having a moment of silence."

Hermione reached for Ron's hand and squeezed it as the entire room grew silent.

"And now," Professor McGonagall began to say, after a solid three minutes of silence, "I'd like to thank every witch and wizard who aided us in this battle, especially those students who stepped up to fight for everything they believed in. Some of them couldn't be here with us tonight, but I am honored and proud to see some of them sitting among us."

McGonagall looked around the room before her eyes fell directly on Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron. She took a minute to look them each in the eye. They all simultaneously nodded at her, knowing that this was her way of thanking them all for their contributions.

"Let us hope that the wizarding world is always graced with such presences." She quickly wiped a tear away from her eye. "So, without further-a-due, let the feast and festivities begin! Oh, one more thing," McGonagall said before the food could appear on the table. "Congratulations Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley. And might I add that it is about time."

More food than any of them could ever consume appeared on the tables. Hermione blushed as Ron put his hand to her cheek, tilting her head so she was facing him. All eyes fell on them as he kissed her deeply. The hall erupted into applause, but they didn't notice, knowing that nothing would be the same since Ron had said the four words that would forever change their lives.

Author's Note:

Okay, phew! It's done! I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get to this point because this is one of the longest-running stories I've ever written, but it was my first Harry Potter fic and I really liked the way it turned out. I know I probably could have turned this last chapter into two chapters, but I honestly wanted to be done with it and to get it out there to all of you. Thank you so much to all of the people who have read and reviewed this story. You are all the reason that I keep writing! Thanks again and stay tuned for my next Harry Potter fic (although, I might be taking a little time off before I jump into another endeavor like this one)!


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